Croydon 0-4 Hartley Wintney - I will be happy with midtable finish, says Croydon boss Dickson Gill

CROYDON 0-4 HARTLEY WINTNEY
Cherry Red Records Combined Counties League Premier Division
Wednesday 19^th February 2014
Stephen McCartney reports from Croydon Sports Arena

CROYDON manager Dickson Gill says he wants his side to improve on last season’s finish in the Cherry Red Records Combined Counties League.

The Trams finished in fourteenth-place with 50 points from 42 games last season and remain in eighth-place with 36 points from 27 games after suffering a heavy defeat to Hartley Wintney tonight.

Kick-off was delayed for 26 minutes after the Hampshire based visitors’ arrived at the Croydon Sports Arena late due to traffic problems, but they climbed into 12^th place in the table after scoring four second half goals.

Player-manager Ben Dillon lead by example with the first goal, before Sam Argent’s brace was sandwiched between a brilliant free-kick from Jack Coventry.

Croydon finished the game with ten-men after central defender James Jordan was sent-off for a professional foul with seven minutes remaining.

“I just felt the boys were overwhelmed after beating Windsor (1-0 in our last game),” said Gill after his side’s eighth home league defeat of the season.

“We had to make a few changes due to illness and work commitments. We had four boys missing and we gave the youngsters a chance today and they were a little bit too good for us because in all fairness they’re a good side, they play some good football as well.”

Croydon created a number of chances, without really testing visiting goalkeeper Craig Atkinson.

Ben Makelow impressed when he partnered Dan Jupe up front for Croydon, before he slotted into the right-back position during the second half.

Mankelow cut the ball back to Tommy Cooney, who was given time and space to whip in a cross from the right where Luke Turner’s downward header was gathered by Atkinson inside the opening four minutes.

Jupe noticed that Mankelow was in an offside position so had to go it all alone, opting to stroke a right-footed drive past the left-hand post.

Thirteen-goal striker Mankelow stung Atkinson’s fingers with a 25-yard free-kick on the angle after eight-minutes, before Elstrom Die was penalised for a foul on Shane Hollamby as the Hartley Wintney skipper cleared the ball away.

Gill said: “That’s Ben’s strength really, he’s quite good at free-kicks and he usually scores quite a few goals.”

The visitors’ opening chance of an open first half arrived inside nine minutes when Argent played in Dillon, whose right-footed chip was caught by Ameyaw.

Ryan Stephens then whipped in a cross towards the edge of the Croydon penalty area for Coventry to hook his right-footed shot past the left-hand post.

Turner played the ball into Jupe’s feet down the inside left-channel and the Croydon striker cut he ball back to Die, who lashed his first time shot harmlessly wide from the edge of the box.

Halfway through the first half Jupe (who had only just received treatment to a bang on the head) picked up a loose ball before floating a cross into the Hartley Wintney box where Mankelow leaned back and cracked a right-footed volley high over the bar from 12-yards.

“I think the knock on his head affected his game today,” Gill said of Jupe.

“There was one stage I was thinking of bringing him off. He done his best. He plodded along. He’s a nice, young lad and he gets on with it.”

Croydon linked up well again when left-back David Cox clipped the ball down the line for Mankelow who cut the ball back to Jupe who teed up Cooney, who flashed his first time left-footed drive wide of the left-hand post from 20-yards.

Croydon will need to work on their shooting as another chance went begging in the 34^th minute.

The impressive Mankelow penetrated the Hartley Wintney defence with a run from the half-way line and his initial shot was blocked and the ball fell to Turner, who cracked his left-footed drive sailing harmlessly over the bar from 25-yards.

A left-wing corner from David Cox was met by a looping header from his brother Steven, which dropped over the crossbar from ten-yards.

The Trams’ last chance of the first half saw the enthusiastic Jupe clipped his left-footed chip over Atkinson’s head, only for the ball to drop just over.

But Hartley Wintney created a couple of late first half chances.

Right-back Daniel Brownlie progressed into the final third before whipping in a cross towards the edge of the Croydon box where Coventry knocked the ball down for Dillon to sweep his right-footed shot past the left-hand post from 20-yards.

But the best chance of the game arrived inside time added on.

Stephens played the best pass of the half to put Argent through on goal and Ameyaw came off his line to smother the striker’s left-footed shot.

Gill added: “Francis is good at them. He’s been an outstanding goalie for us all year, not only this year, so we’re pleased to have him but no reflection on him, the four goals he let in.”

Hartley Wintney opened the scoring with three minutes and 23 seconds on the clock.

Left-back Adam Everiss picked the ball up in the channel, cut inside before being denied a goal when his shot bounced off the keeper’s arm and on to the near post and Dillon steered the ball into the empty net from two-yards.

“We’ve got a young side. When things don’t go their way they seem to turn it in,” said Gill.

“We haven’t really got any experienced players as such to guide the young kids along, so it all costs money and we haven’t got that at the moment so we have to go along with what we’ve got.”

Croydon failed to keep their shots on target as they pressed for an equaliser.

Mankelow clipped the ball into Jupe, who brought the ball under control before he laid the ball off to skipper Steven Cox, who cracked a first time drive sailing harmlessly over the crossbar from 20-yards.

Hartley Wintney should have doubled their lead on the hour-mark when Coventry whipped in a corner from the right, Hollamby headed the ball across goal and Stephens stabbed the ball straight into Ameyaw’s arms from close range.

Ameyaw spread his large frame to deny Stephens flicking the ball into the bottom right-hand corner when the right-sided midfielder latched onto a long ball into the Croydon box.

Die flashed a first time right-footed drive wide of the post from 25-yards for Croydon, before the Frenchman gave the ball away and Stephens swept his shot into the keeper’s gloves from outside the box.

Croydon’s impressive substitute Martin Smith squandered an excellent chance to claw the home side back into the game.

Smith spread the ball out wide to Die, who floated over a long ball towards the far post where Smith ghosted in to plant his header agonisingly wide of the near post from six-yards.

Gill explained why Smith started the game on the bench.

He said: “He worked hard. He’s been missing for a while injured, work and things like that so he’s come back. He’s got a point to prove so he’s trying very hard. He was a bit unlucky (with the header) but he’s just finding his way in the team.”

Gill explained why Smith had replaced substitute Martin Alexis, who lasted only 21 minutes on his debut after the former Sutton United youngster becoming the 66^th player to wear the Croydon shirt this season.

“Tommy (Cooney) broke his toe. We had to bring the young lad on. As you noticed two goals came from his side so I had to substitute him. He’s only seventeen, a young lad, so I had to give him a chance and realised he’s not quite up to it.  That’s the problem you’re up against when you haven’t got a reserve team. We’re sad to bring him off but it had to be done.  We didn’t have balance to the team today and it affected us.”

Smith’s miss, however, proved costly, as Hartley Wintney doubled their lead in the 69^th minute.

Everiss played a free-kick short to Dillon, who played the ball back to Everiss, who was given acres of space to whip in a cross into the box where Argent headed into the bottom left-hand corner for his 26^th goal of the season.

“It speaks for itself, 26 goals, a good run in The FA Cup, they’re a good side,” added Gill.

“I did tell the lads they’re a good side and don’t look at their league position and think they’re not very good because players don’t go out to watch games -  I do.

“I did say today if you beat these, you’ll do well, but there you go. We got found out by not working hard enough today.”

Croydon capitulated and conceded another two goals in the final fifteen minutes.

Hartley Wintney made it three with the goal of the game in the 75^th minute when Coventry stepped up and drilled his left-footed free-kick over Ameyaw into the roof of the net from 22-yards.

“Fair play to him. It was a good goal,” acknowledged Gill. 

“You could put any goalkeeper in there today and that was always going in. It was a good goal. It was in the top corner and he took it well.”

Wasteful Croydon missed another decent opportunity when Jupe whipped in a cross towards the far post for Smith to plant his header just wide.

But The Trams were reduced to ten-men when Jordan stretched to claim the ball, only for referee Damith Bandara to blow for a foul on Argent a couple of yards inside the penalty area.

Jordan was sent-off for his last man foul and Argent stepped up and sent Ameyaw the wrong way with a right-footed penalty, which nestled inside the bottom left-hand corner of the net to add to his impressive goalscoring tally.

“Well if you look at it, in my opinion, he won the ball but if you dive from behind of anyone, if you get the ball or not, you are risking going off and although he won the ball it don’t count for nothing,” said Gill.

“The whole stadium would be jumping up going what a really good tackle so that’s how it is football now.

“You are expecting him to score,” added Gill.  “Goalkeeper’s save (penalties) occasionally, they get lucky.”

A cross from Stephens was met by a left-footed volley by Coventry, which sailed over the bar, before Ameyaw flung himself to his left to prevent Argent scoring with a 30-yard free-kick at the death.

Gill said: “He dived full stretch and saved it.  That’s his strength. He’s a good goalie. He’s got a good kick on him. He’s been with us for four years now.  He’s a loyal lad. We got him from Sunday morning football and looked after him and this year we’ve put him under contract so he’s got two years with us plus an option.

“We’ve just haven’t got enough experience. It stands out a mile.”

When asked whether he can take any positives from tonight’s set-back the Croydon boss replied: “It’s very difficult when you’ve just lost 4-0 and players are arguing and one’s sent-off.

“The only thing I can say is at least we’ve tried to play. We played some football but there was no end product.

“The positives are we tried, we didn’t curl up and said no we’re not playing. There were a few ugly moments here and there but that happens in all levels of football.”

Croydon travel to bottom-of-the-table Bedfont Sports on Saturday and need another fifteen points from their last fifteen league games to better last season’s points total.

“We’ve just got to bounce back, forget this, it’s gone.  We can’t do nothing about it,” said Gill.

“If it was a boxing match it would’ve been stopped about 60-70 minutes but we have another chance to have another go at someone else.

“It’s not all doom and gloom. We’re looking to finish midtable. I think we’ll probably finish midtable so if we finish 12th-14th, I’ll be happy.”

Gill revealed that no offers have been put on the table for somebody else to take the club forward – and only 40 people watched this match tonight.

He said: “If something better comes along, we might just take it. If something financial comes across we’ll have to look at it because the club is far more important than one or two individuals in the club.

“Our aim is to do better than last year. We’re looking to improve.”

Croydon:  Francis Ameyaw, Jeffrey Kimoto, David Cox, Steven Cox, James Jordan, Justin Hemmings, Tommy Cooney (Martin Alexis 46, Martin Smith 66), Elstrom Die, Dan Jupe, Luke Turner, Ben Mankelow.
Subs: Jamie Atkins, Aaron Smith

Sent off: James Jordan 83

Hartley Wintney: Craig Atkinson, Daniel Brownlie (Paris Hutt 78), Adam Everiss, Shane Hollamby, Marc Vockins, Elliot Hobden (Nick Kingston 68), Jack Coventry, Max Elward, Sam Argent, Ryan Stephens, Ben Dillon.
Subs: Chris Williamson, Chris Smalley

Goals:  Ben Dillon 49, Sam Argent 69, 84 (penalty), Jack Coventry 75

Attendance: 40
Referee: Mr Damith Bandara (Epsom, Surrey)
Assistants: Mr Peter Brooks (Forest Hill, London SE23) & Mr Mohammad Dilwari (Battersea, London SW11)